Avoiding a protracted Rohingya crisis

To the rest of the world, Bangladesh is known for its political violence and natural hazards. However, as Bangladesh embraced nearly a million Rohingya refugees fleeing violence from Myanmar, their homeland, the country has garnered praise and recognition. This is particularly important because Bangladesh is a small country plagued with its own large population.

However, providing shelter to so many refugees has its own consequences. For example, these refugees are currently living in makeshift camps scattered across Cox's Bazar. Hosting refugees for the locals is a huge pressure on them.

Nearby forests are being destroyed to build camps and to extract wood, leaving the area susceptible to landslide and environmental degradation. 

We have seen many important public figures and officials coming to Bangladesh to see the plight of Rohingyas. They express their sadness for the refugees and praise Bangladesh for hosting them. But good words are not helping Bangladesh. The world should be more vocal and proactive about the issue and continue to build pressure on Myanmar to take back its nationals. 

Sayek Ahmed, By e-mail